1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates in general to devices for supporting shelves in parallel, vertically spaced relationship. More particularly, the invention relates to an improvement over the shelf support device described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,289,289 to Overman issued Sep. 15, 1981 and owned by Monterey Shelf, Inc., the assignee of the present invention.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In the prior art, different types of shelf support devices are provided including brackets, hangers, strips and other arrangements for supporting a shelf between two upright parallel end panels. Among this prior art are the devices shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,053,132; 4,037,813; 3,910,204; 3,481,485; 3,471,112; and 2,783,961.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,067,530 and 4,289,289 to Overman provide shelf support strips that are injection molded in a single operation from synthetic resinous material. This enables repeatability of design and adherence to manufacturing tolerances, and permits uniformity among the manufactured strips.
Many conventional shelf support devices utilize a number of different parts. In one such prior design, a pair of elongate strips are mounted upright to support upstanding end panels in a shelf assembly. These strips are apertured for mounting a shelf support member. Such a separate support member is not integral with the strip with which it is supported, and constitutes a source of weakness in the shelf support system. It would be desirable to provide a shelf support strip in which all of the elements are integral, except for the screws or staples which attach the strip to a support structure or panel.
Many conventional shelf support brackets and strips which utilize moveable or adjustable shelf hanger units incorporate an apertured strip so that the hanger unit can be adjusted in height in accordance with the height of objects, such as books, that may be stacked on a shelf. It would be desirable to provide a shelf support arrangement which permits the shelves to be easily mounted with the desired vertical spacing without the requirement of adjusting any components of the unit itself.
The shelf support member disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,289,289 provides a "live" hinge which permits passage of the shelf into proper position, which was found to be an advantage over the type of prior shelf support member shown, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 4,067,530. However, it has been found that such a "live" hinge lacks sufficient strength to be reliable, and the support elements have a tendency to break off in the area of the "live" hinge.
The shelf support member of U.S. Pat. No. 4,289,289 also includes two parallel side members that transmit load forces from the shelf to the supporting panel or wall. It has been found that upon application of excessive loads, these side members tend to separate, which can lead to collapse of the shelf support member. It would be desirable to provide a shelf support strip which obviates this problem.
The need has been recognized for a shelf support strip which obviates the foregoing and other limitations and disadvantages of the prior art shelf support devices. Despite the various shelf support devices in the prior art, there has not yet been provided a suitable and attractive solution to these problems.